OAKLAND — For all the heroics of Andrew Bogut and Stephen Curry on Thursday night — and there were plenty — a couple of rookies helped save the Warriors from a monumental collapse in the finishing minutes of Game 6 Thursday night.

First-year forwards Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes made big plays and big shots all night, but particularly down the stretch in helping Golden State withstand a furious Denver Nuggets comeback.

Green, who scored 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, made a driving layup and a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions after Denver had cut it to five, 80-75, with 4:41 still go. He made another bucket underneath with 3:15 to go to bump the lead to eight, and also drew a key blocking call during Denver’s run.

Then it was Barnes’ turn. With 1:07 to go and the Nuggets trailing by just four, 88-84, Barnes was fouled and he calmly went to the line and sank two free throws to bump the lead to six. Those two points turned out to be crucial in a 92-88 victory.

“The only thing that was going through my mind was the free throw I missed in Game 3 — I just rushed it,” Barnes said. “So I just told myself, “Breathe, relax, stay calm and just take your time.’ And I made ’em.”

Early on, the two rookies kept their team afloat, scoring 14 of the team’s 21 first-quarter points. But down the stretch, it was clearly Green who kept his head and stabilized the Warriors as they were squandering an 18-point lead.

“When you know you’ve worked on your game for years and years, in situations like that, it’s just basketball,” said Green. “You can’t over-think the situation or start worrying, hey, there’s two minutes left in an elimination game. It’s basketball. You just keep your calm and remember all the work you put in.”

So why did Green take it upon himself to make those two critical drives?

“They’re trapping Stephen Curry,” Green said. “When you trap Steph like that, someone else has to step up and make the play. That’s basically their coach saying (Curry) isn’t going to beat us. Someone else has to do it.

“So you’re put in a situation like that, it’s your time to make a play,” Green continued. “I didn’t get that layup on my own. Bogut sealed Javale McGee off and once he did that, I knew I had the lane.”

Oh yes, and Green also made another 3-point basket, his fifth of the series, as the Warriors were building their 18-point lead. So he did a little bit of everything in his 25 minutes.

“He’s a three, a four, a two? What does he do? He wins games,” said Bogut. “I love the kid. He’s going to be a great player.”

Coach Mark Jackson wasn’t surprised to see the rookie from Michigan State be so bold from the perimeter.

“He’s made some big shots, and tonight, he really made some big shots,” Jackson said. “But he’s not surprised when he makes ’em. Funny thing, he’s running down the floor like he’s Steph Curry making faces and gestures.”

As for Barnes, he scored 11 points with five rebounds in 37 minutes but perhaps most important, was stalwart defensively against Denver forward Wilson Chandler. Chandler hit just 5 of 17 in the game.

Perhaps the most noteworthy thing, beyond the stats, is that both Green and Barnes were on the floor for much of the fourth quarter, including the final minutes. Jackson couldn’t have been prouder.

“We targeted those guys (in the draft),” he said. “They were awfully impressive in the interview process. They were impressive during the combine process. They’re absolute pros, incredible young men. They helped to change the culture.”